Oceanography Lesson Plans

Students experience the field of oceanography. In this oceanography instructional activity, students role-play the career of oceanographer. Students log on to Second Life and research algae blooms and coral sanctuaries. Students simulate an oil spill and research the harmful effects of the spill on marine life.

Pupils examine marine life. In this oceanography lesson plan, students design a multimedia project using PowerPoint or HyperStudio that encompasses research that they do on ocean ecosystems.

Fourth graders define new vocabulary associated with oceanography. They locate and label the four oceans. They also identify features of the ocean floor.

Students use mathematical formulas and graphs to determine how thick the hull must be on an ROV.   In this oceanography lesson, students must create a line graph to determine the pressure at different depths of ocean.  

Students investigate various careers in the field of oceanography. They create a resume, develop a hypothetical company, create a brochure or web page, plan an ad campaign, or write an article about a teacher that has influenced them.

Students research the five major sub disciplines of oceanography. They, in groups, list questions that each type of oceanographer would pose for a research project, then describe three research projects, and the type of oceanographer involved.

Students identify differences between jobs and careers, and identify career areas within the broad field of oceanography. They research, compare and contrast requirements needed to become a practitioner of various oceanographic career fields, determine high school courses that would be most beneficial for someone planning oceanography career, and create computer-based group projects relating to an oceanographic career.

Learners create a video about their oceanography unit where they role-play various animals from the ocean. In this oceanography lesson, students create a paper mural and then costumes for the animals. Learners role-play the animals and create a video. Students may publish the video as a pod cast.

Students conduct experiments on a sample of sea water. In this oceanography lesson, students inquire how conductivity is used to approximate the salinity ocean water. Students construct their own conductivity meters and test solutions made of sodium chloride. Students discover the relationship between concentration of dissolved salt and it's conductivity.

Young scholars explore physics by completing a water experiment in class. In this waves lesson, students utilize a pitcher, box, corks, balloons and other household objects to conduct a tsunami activity. Young scholars record their results on a worksheet and define a list of vocabulary terms regarding oceanography.